The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Low power electronics and sensors are becoming prevalent, as are wireless transceivers, that allow various forms of sensors to be placed in remote and inaccessible locations on various structures, for example on various forms of aircraft and spacecraft. The demand for self-powered sensors and devices that are able to obtain electrical power through environmental energy harvesting is also increasing. Energy in various forms of vibrating structures is typically available over a wide range of frequencies. This is especially so in automotive applications, and particularly on or near wheels or on suspension components used with motor vehicles such as cars, trucks and SUVs. Typically, this energy is lost during normal operation of the structure or platform on which the energy harvesting device is being employed. Thus, an autonomous, inexpensive and reliable energy harvesting device that is able to harvest vibration energy over a wide frequency range, and is responsive to very small amplitudes of vibration energy, would be highly useful in powering remotely located sensors and other forms of devices.
A principal disadvantage of many present-day energy harvesting devices is that such devices harvest vibration energy primarily at one or more frequencies. It would enhance the utility and efficiency of an energy harvesting device significantly if such a device was responsive to vibration energy over a wide frequency band, as well as responsive to very small amplitudes of vibration energy.
Still further, a vibration energy harvesting device that is highly compact and lightweight, and which is able to harvest vibration energy over a wide frequency band. would enable electrical power to be generated that could be used to power remotely located sensors and other devices. The ability to provide electrical power to remotely located sensors and various devices would eliminate the need to extend cabling or other forms of conductors to the devices. it would further enable the use of sensors in various forms of electrically powered devices at locations on various structures, for example on aircraft and spacecraft, where it might otherwise be impractical or impossible to place a sensor because of the need to run electrical cabling to the sensor to power the sensor.